Tag Archives: g-dragon

A growing anticipation was building over the weekend as G-Dragon and CL released preview images from the “Dirty Vibe” music video. Skrillex and Diplo have been teaming up lately under their alias, Jack Ü and more recently, they have been working in tandem with another powerhouse duo–G-Dragon and CL–to produce the song “Dirty Vibe.”

This isn’t G-Dragon’s first time collaborating with American artists. His latest solo album Coup D’etat featured Missy Elliott, Sky Ferreira and Lydia Paek. For CL, this is the first of many collaborations set for her US debut as a solo artist under SB Projects management.

Initially when the song was released on March 17, 2014 on Scrillex’s Soundcloud page, the song was widely received by its listeners (as seen in the comments).

However, when Red Bull premiered the music video on December 12, 2014, the reactions ranged from utter disappointment to complete love for it.

Click image to watch music video:

Click image to watch music video

Neither Skrillex nor Diplo appear in the video and the focus is mainly on G-Dragon and CL. According to an interview he did with Redbull, Skrillex met with CL and G-Dragon in Korea and asked them to collaborate on a track that he and Diplo had been working on. Skrillex also claimed to have put significant input on the video’s artistic direction, though Redbull was the main producer of the video itself.

Despite many, many negative reactions, there were also a handful of fans defending the video:

According to SeoulBeats, “A common theme among the initial reactions to the song is that it does not showcase CL and G-Dragon’s respective skills, but it can also be argued that this is understandable because the song is essentially Skrillex’s, with the other artists simply featuring on the track.” What’s for certain is that the “Dirty Vibe” track strays away from the iconic YG sound that fans have been accustomed to, and we can only predict that there will be more experimenting from GD and CL.

So what do you think of the song and video? What do you make of G-Dragon mostly rapping in Korean and CL mostly rapping in English? Watch the video here and make sure to comment below.

Just days after his show-stopping, electrifying performance with Missy Elliott in Los Angeles, K-Pop heavyweight G-Dragon released five out of 14 slated tracks from his upcoming album, “COUP D’ETAT,” scheduled for full digital release on September 5th. Besides Missy, “COUP D’ETAT PT. 1″ showcases a star-studded list of musical collaborations, including “Black” featuring indie sweetheart Sky Ferreira, “R.O.D.” with YG producer and former Quest Crew member Lydia Paek, and “Coup D’Etat,” the album’s first single, with producers Diplo and Baauer. With this star-studded list of impressive team-ups and creative, diverse productions, GD is establishing himself as an international music force, and we can’t help but smile at this singer-songwriter-producer-rapper’s cross-continental success.

Immediately upon release, GD found himself in an interesting musical competition on the charts; two of his title tracks, the old-school “Who You?” (admittedly, one of my favorites) and the cool slow jam “Black” competed for the top spot on the Melon charts. In addition, all of the released songs took up the first five spots on both the Mnet and Naver charts, a true display off the star’s immense popularity.

This little taste of GD’s new music has undoubtedly piqued our interest that much more in the hallyu megastar. His releases, including 2009’s Heartbreaker and last year’s One of a Kind, are always an auditory adventure, definitely straying away from the majority of songs on both the K-Pop and American Top 40 scenes. To say that we’re wanting more is definitely an understatement.

One of the highlights of this year’s KCON for many attendees were the artist engagement sessions held throughout the convention. During these brief meetings, a select group of fans was able to see their favorite idols in the flesh, with the stars only standing only a few feet away from them. For many, such an opportunity and experience was very surreal; their favorite stars were right in front of them, in the flesh and not just appearing through a glowing screen.

Audrey was fortunate enough to get into two of the most in-demand artist engagement sessions, Bigbang’s G-Dragon and EXO, and we have some exclusive photos just for you!

G-DRAGON
Though he was flying solo, it was no question that G-Dragon was an artist that most KCON fans were excited to see. Once he got on stage, the crowd electrified with numerous screams of joy and countless professions of love. That energy remained throughout his Q&A session, especially when he expressed his anticipation and admiration for EXO and his cravings for the California culinary staple, In-N-Out. Dressed in a simple tank, sunglasses and beanie, he was the charismatic, cool guy that fans have come to know and adore.

EXO
With an innumerable amount of t-shirts with the group member’s names strewn on the front, “Wolf”-inspired outfits and impromptu dance covers of “Growl” being seen all around the convention, it became quickly clear that the guys of EXO were clearly a fan favorite. Dressed in uniforms, the boys proved their prowess in pleasing fans, having impromptu performances and answering questions in the most adorable way possible (for instance, D.O.’s profession of his love for steak).

With such a jam-packed, exciting weekend, what was your favorite part of this year’s KCON?

Before they were the famous and beloved idols they are today, some of our favorite KCON 2013 attendees were once wee, adorable children. Our favorite idols (and some very clever, stealthy netizens) have revealed their über-precious, squeal-worthy photos online. Take a peek below!

In just a matter of days, KCON makes its way back the City of Angels to celebrate all things hallyu. This year’s two-day convention will be filled with workshops and panels and culminate in a star-studded concert and filming of the popular Korean music show,M Countdown.

Excited yet? We know we are!

But just in case you aren’t yet, us here at Audrey wanted to give you taste of what to expect for this year’s show through our musical go-to guide of some of this year’s featured artists!

EXO
The newest boy group to come out of mega-label SM Entertainment (and an Audrey favorite!), EXO is a 12-member Korean-Chinese band made up of two subgroups, EXO-K and EXO-M, who promote in both Korea and China. Though they just debuted last year, they have made a name for themselves in the K-Pop industry, already winning an Mnet Asian Music Award (MAMA) for “Best New Asian Act.”

For their latest comeback, the two sub-groups have reunited and have gained notice with their cool, R&B-inspired single “Growl.”

G-DRAGON
Starting his training at YG Entertainment at the tender age of 13, G-Dragon is known as a K-Pop multi-hyphenate as the leader, a rapper and producer of mega-popular boy group Big Bang. Alongside projects with Big Bang as well as a duo project with fellow Big Bang rapper T.O.P., GD launched his solo career in 2009 with the release of his first album. After his hugely successful “One of a Kind” world tour this past year, he has recently announced the release of his third solo record, “Coup D’Etat,” which will have a feature from hip-hop heavyweight, Missy Elliott.

TEEN TOP
Debuting in 2010 with TOP Media (the media company founded by Andy of K-Pop legends, Shinhwa), Teen Top broke onto the scene with their first single, “Clap.” With a string of hits under their belt, including “Supa Love” and “Crazy,” the young teen idols will be releasing their new album, “Class,” in the coming weeks.

F(X)
With a distinct electronic pop sound, f(x) has become known as one of the hottest girl groups in K-Pop today. With songs like “NU ABO,” “Hot Summer,” and “Electric Shock,” the girls are nothing short of a K-Pop powerhouse. Composed of members Luna, Krystal, Amber, Sulli, and Victoria, this SM Entertainment quintet has continued to surprise and delight fans with their unique style.

HENRY
Henry Lau, known just as Henry, is multi-talented member of Super Junior’s Chinese sub-group, Super Junior-M. Knowing a wide range of languages, including English, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese and French, this 23-year old has a penchant for music. He is able to play both the violin and piano and has composed songs. Earlier this year, he released his first solo mini-album, “Trap” and has just released the song “1-4-3” featuring fellow SM Town family member, Amber of f(x).

2AM
From JYP/Big Hit Entertainment comes 2AM, a popular ballad group made up of members Seulong, Changmin, Jo Kwon and Jinwoon. Winning their first Mutizen award in 2010 for “Can’t Let You Go Even If I Die,” they have melted hearts with their sweet harmonies and outstanding voices. Earlier this year, they made their Korean comeback with the release of their second full-length album “One Spring Day.”

YU SEUNG WOO
At just 16 years old, Yu Seung Woo first began to catch people’s attention when he appeared on Mnet’s popular singing audition program, Superstar K4. His soothing guitar playing and gentle voice have made many a fan, especially on tracks like “You and I” and “Hello,” off of his recently released album, “First Outing.”

DYNAMIC DUO
This team, made up of long-time friends Choiza and Gaeko, have become one of the most respected acts in South Korea’s hip-hop scene. Active since 2003, they have released a number of hit albums, including “Taxi Driver” and “Enlightened.”

MISSY ELLIOTT
As the only female rapper to have six platinum albums, to say that Missy Elliott is a major player in the hip-hop scene is an understatement. A five-time Grammy Award-winner, the rapper-producer-singer-songwriter has sold over 30 million records worldwide. With a discography that boasts six albums and 70 singles (including 43 features), including hits like “Work It,” “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” and “One Minute Man.” Her connection to the K-Pop scene? She’s recently collaborated on G-Dragon’s latest album, to be released at the end of this month.

DJ KOO
A former member of ‘90s dance duo Clon, DJ Koo is a popular electro-house DJ who made his debut in 2003. Playing festivals like Miami’s Ultra Music Festival, DJ Koo has demonstrated his immense skill and creativity in arranging, mixing and producing electronic dance hits, even mixing for some of K-Pop’s biggest names including f(x) and SHINee. In 2013, he released his latest single, “BOB BOB DEE LALA.”

HEEJUN HAN
As a finalist on the 11th season of American Idol, Heejun Han caught America’s attention with his soulful voice and funny antics. Recently singing with Polaris Entertainment in Korea, he will soon be releasing a single in the US entitled “Bring the Love Back” with Pusha T.

To celebrate their 17th anniversary, Vogue Korea is releasing three versions of their latest issue, which will be available this August. On the cover is none other than Big Bang’s leader, the ever-stylish G-Dragon. The “One of a Kind” singer-rapper-songwriter shows off three very different sides of himself in each cover, appearing alongside top Korean models Soo Joo, Sunghee Kim and Jihye Park.

Audrey Magazine is an award-winning national publication that covers the Asian experience from the perspective of Asian American women. Audrey covers the latest talent and trends in entertainment, fashion, beauty and lifestyle.